Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-29
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detailed Account Of His Il "A and character ss
Portrayed in s., |. r..! . ], ssrHon ny

that community took ph . ON Tuesday, 2Sth |
inst, at two o'clock in tie Bellevue Presby. |
terisn church. The serylc we're conducted |
by the following named ministers Rev. J.
G. Wood, prayer at the house Rev, L. n.
McClintock, at the chuttb, after which the
choir sang, "Forever With the Lord !" Rev.
A. oskes read chapter the choir then sang
How Blest the Righteous When ho Dies"
after which Rev. J. ". Bradley spoke as tol.
lows;
II the machinery of a great government Is
stopped and those high In authority In state
or nation pause at the CstaalQue 10 rchearse
the great deeds Of and pronounce euloSy
upon The nations deed, be be warrior or
statesman, we need offer no apology 20 we
gather IN solemn assembly this afternoon
around the casket and open grave OF one OF
natures nobleulsn, prince N Israel, ser
want OF the Lord Jesus Chris and In 4 lew
ofisI words pay htting uioute to his mem.
ory ere We lay bis body In the tomb TO await
the angel summons on the resurrection morn
ing. For this purpose will read the thirty
seventh verse of the thlrty-seventh psalm,
Mark the perfect man, and behold the up.
risnt, ior the end of that man Is peace I
have selected this text, not for the purpose OF
celebrating the thought Il contains In a well
disested and logical discourse but because In
the lie and death OF our dear departed
brother we have q striking illustration Of the
great truth 1t presents to US
EARLY ASTECEuENrs.
Rev. Valentine Gray was born in hester
county, March d, isis, and died at Gap Jan.
- lSs1, aged Il years months and - days
de was converted at a campmeeuus held in
Chester county, Sept IL 1884. and soon after
received baptism OF the Holy Ghost, the
influence of which, according to his own
statement, never left him. He was licensed
10 preach FEB. 8, 1888, and during that year
preached ee tlmea In the spring Of 1880 he
was admitted Into the Philadelphia conference
oil the Methodist Episcop1l CHURCH and sp-
pointed to Dauphin circuit, which then In
Iluuea parts OF Dsnphin, lancaster aud
| ference was divided by order Of the general
| conference In May, 1865 snd he became q
member OF the Wilminston Conference He
continued In the active work o. the ministry
| within its bounds until the spring Of ISL
| when, on account of IMPAIRED To, he asked
| Tor and obtained suPersnuatsd relation,
| which he held at the time Of his death. He
| loved and served his GUi faithfully for City.
three years and was minister Of the gospel
| OF Christ for nearly hall q century, and now
| l would have you mark thst erect and we'll
| constructed Physical form preserved beyond
| three score years and ten and the manly
| diEuihed bearing, indicative Of the stability
| that characterised the man.
Beneath that noble brow were intellectual
| powers unimpatred to the last and almost
| Ike Moses " II is eye was no. dim nor his
| natural force sbsted." That pleasant smile
that plsyed upon his features llse peren.
! nlaI sunbeam was not q s.Cs ~, sentimental
| one, but the soul.lite within that, lighted up
| by stream OF glory from the cross OF Christ,
shone through the clay and dwelt upon hii
couutenance. Like the leader Of the hosts OF
| Israel he had gone up into the mountain "a
meet hts God and came down with a shining
face. And, as the sun gilds the clouds Of the
western sky when passing below the horizon
this holy radiance fingered upon his coun
| tensnce until life's last hour had fed, A
i hans 9w hrrp aGF a1I
nobler soul never tsoernsCied in human
flesh. He was kind, tender hearted and
sympathetic, but by no means etfemiuste
| Modest and unassumins, he rather under
| rated his own abilities, and never inuuieC
his company or his services hu, when duty
called he answered and wss equal TO an!
emergency.
An EVENLY DEVELOPED MAJ,
He had a clear head, a wei. balanced mine
sad sound judgment man Of stronl
and positive convictions, be was not swerve,
: from the right by fear OF favor, men o
. devils He had no faculties OF mind o
, heart that we're developed at the expense, o
, | TO the exclusion of others, but was wei
|, | rounded up In all the characteristics Of tru
manhood. Socially he was good Converss
t!oDalist, genial and pleasant, while ther
was In him vein OF sanCtIhed humor whiC
/, made his presence and company highly Ell
/ | ioysble. In his own home bis hospitalit
) knew no bounds, and hs was ever ready {
. welcome bis friends with COrdiAlity Whe
/. they left his home his pleasant good bye
7, and kind 'corle again when you can ccul
!. | not be misunderstood. But the pertect III
., | right man Is the highest type Of ChristiaI
Q | and such was Valentine Gray. He was
D worthy living e1empLsr Of the religion {
. the Lord Jesus Christ.
instability Is a word which Vas not 70 un
8 In the vocabulary of his Christian ex perienc
- and his religious life flowed on, its co,
). stanCy like deep broad river, unaffected
any appreCiaole extent by the streams
. worldliUess, trial, sOTTUW or affection thu
: might flow into It.
II When he prayed he took hold Of the horr
}. OF thei altar, and those who heard him fe
that he WAS an Israel prevailing with GO,
Il When he told his Christian experience,
a was not the prevaricallng words of a form
9 profession, but the"I know whom l hsv
> believed" of positive Christian OF the Pa
Y line type not the stereotyped uttersnces
II bscksllderr but the spontaneous overgus
). ings of ssayed soul, washed In the blood
q the Lamb. As minister Of the gospel
% Christ, he was q workman that needeih not
II be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
truth and, like Pau, he shrsnk not fro
/. declaring the whole counsel OF God. Whe
he arose to speak he had something to sa
"a and said IL In a manner that commanded q
Al attention OF Lis auditors He was vel
methodicsl In presenting his points b
Is thought was clear, bis reasoning logical, al
n his language plain Anglo Saxon, which
earn sstness and force Of a son OF thirt
rather than sire OF three score years al
ten.
WORKER TO The LAST
u Though on the superan Qsted List he was
!. no means a worn out preacher, but sbunds
IN labors down to the close of life. But agsI
d Isaiah says " the work Of righteousness shi
b be peace, and the effect Of Righteousness quito
e ness and assurance forever" Twas ev
thus with Brother Gray. He believed in t
n Son OF God, and knew he had eternal II
r, This brought quietness and assurance to /
70 soul, while he peace OF God that passeth
ID understanding dwelt richly in his heart al
~ mind through Christ Jesus and perfect 10
- cast out fear, even the fear OF death.
% dread ed not the king OF horrors but contel
plated his approach apparently with as mu
70 Calmness as he would the visit OF a friend
a with him death had lost its sting aud 1
n grave its victory, and he could triumphant
a say thanks be unto God who giveth us t
- victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
- He met the grim monster with the indomI
oo ble courage OF a vallient Chieftain and &C
70 quered through:the blood OF the Lamb. {
n end was peace.
"A On last Friday morning while
a starry ssntinels OF night were still kes
#. ing vigil DER the earth, and before the hi
OF bingers Of approaching day had streak
lis the eastern sky, the rayen-winged angel
To death lowered over the peaceful home
m | Rev. Valentine Gray and entered uu bidd
o. and unwelcome but not entirely uue
pected. He lay In an upper room, VIII
around his bed had gathered the vile OF
bosom, his only son, "a brothsrin. in. law, a 4
term law and the family physician. The
was short struggle and his dying wort